Beat of Love
by xSorcery
Summary: [AU] When you're at the top, you're loved and hated by many. Aisha, Elrios's number one pop star, is always at the top, leaving Eve at the bottom. But when Eve's manager, Rena, summons demons to sabotage Aisha, both Eve and Aisha are taken, forcing Rena to work with her enemies in order to save her own budding idol.
1. Magical Distortion

**A/N:** After 3 years, I'm back. In the Elsword fandom. I do have more Vocaloid in the works, but I needed a change in pace.  
**Warnings:** YandeRena. Because Rena would make a scary enemy too. Oh, and horribly written lyrics by yours truly.

I'll leave the classes to your imagination.

* * *

**Magical Distortion**

"…_and with a magical distortion in time,  
Perhaps magic will shine once again.  
And with a magical distortion in space,  
Perhaps you will learn to love again."_

The crowd of Ponggos cheered passionately as Aisha finished her last song of the night. She panted slightly, tired from her strenuous dance routine, but her face glowed with happiness as she stared out at the shouting crowd. Purple sparkles and silver streams of light faded as the lights turned off one by one, leaving just a single spotlight on the purple-haired idol.

"Thank you, Altera, for being an amazing crowd tonight!" Aisha shouted into the rhinestone-encrusted microphone. Raising the mic, which was disguised to be her staff, she shot a few of her signature silver starballs into the air. "See you all soon!"

She turned back and headed backstage to the dressing room as the audience filed out of the concert hall.

"Did you see that?"

"That was amazing!"

"I hope I can be as famous as Aisha one day!"

Aisha smiled as she the noise of the crowd faded away with each step she took. She loved her job; she loved writing and making music that made other people happy; she loved meeting new people as she toured around Elrios.

Most importantly, she loved being in the spotlight, beloved by all.

"Good job, Aisha!" her bodyguard and manager, Elsword, called out. He tossed her a bottle of water, knowing how dehydrated she would be after moving around under the intense warm lighting.

"Thanks, Elsword. Couldn't have done it without you." She caught the water bottle easily with one hand and unlocked the door to her dressing room. She stepped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar. "Where to next?"

"Feita. I know some of your die-hard fans are eagerly waiting for you to grace them with your presence." Elsword grinned knowingly outside the room.

"Oh, shut up." Aisha rolled her eyes as she picked up a brush and loosened her curly purple pigtails. "Allegro's just… rather persistent." She tucked her hair under a hat and began changing from her flashy purple and pink performing outfit and into more casual clothing so she could make it out of the concert hall without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi.

"Persistent enough to break a leg while sneaking backstage." Elsword snorted as he remembered the stammering fool who fell off the wall that surrounded their venue in Feita. He couldn't remember who was more surprised: Allegro when he met Aisha or Aisha when Allegro suddenly swooned and fainted.

He heard Aisha's bubbly giggle float out from the slightly open door. "Well, I think he's more harmful to himself than to me," she joked, stepping out of the room.

The two began walking down the hall and to the exit, where they would leave to go back to the inn. "You know, I won't let anything harm you, right?" Elsword asked seriously, glancing sideways at Aisha's expression.

Aisha shifted her eyes to Elsword's red ones and gave him her signature toothy grin. "Yep, I know. Isn't that what I hired you for?" she retorted, oblivious to the fact that Elsword was seeking a more serious answer.

Elsword sighed internally as they reached the exit. "Yeah, I guess" he replied as he pushed the door open.

_Yeah, I guess I can wait a bit longer_.

* * *

"…_if you could wait  
just a bit longer,  
I could become  
so much stronger…"_

Eve's soft voice echoed across the fields of Ruben Village, attracting a small crowd of villagers and phorus alike. Her long, white hair flowed elegantly behind her as she glided across the stage, eliciting cheers from the audience. She swayed softly to the beat of the upbeat pop song, closing her eyes to complete the final part of the song.

"… _if you would just wait  
I will never fade."_

The music faded into the background as soft applause rose up from the fields. With a flourish, Eve raised her hand into the air and added her own magical stream of lasers and bolts for a dramatic effect.

"Thank you, Ruben. I hope to see you soon," she said softly, bowing as the audience turned to leave.

"Good job tonight, Eve," her manager, Rena, said as she approached. "A few more lives and maybe a few singles later, you can reach Sander's stage."

"Thank you for your hard work again tonight, Rena," the Nasod replied with her typical poker face.

Rena beamed. "No problem at all! Shall we get moving to the photo shoot now? After all, you are to appear in Elder Gazette in a few days. With those looks of yours, I'm sure you'll attract an even larger fanbase. Oh, and you can't forget that new song you said you'd try out. Raven and I worked so hard on it. I'm sure it'll be a hit!"

"Calm down and stop overworking the poor girl," a gruff voice behind Rena interrupted.

"Hi, Raven! How was security today? No problems at all?" Rena turned and smiled up at Raven, continuing her high-speed talking. "And don't worry. Eve's getting enough rest, aren't you, Eve? Dark circles would only mar your popularity!"

"Yes, I know. I will be sure to rest properly." Eve seemed unfazed at the blonde woman's spiel, maintaining her expressionless face. Even the mention of more work didn't make her blink.

"Would you like to retire now, Eve? I can show you back to the inn," Raven offered. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, glancing at Rena.

"Oh, I'm sure Eve can get back just fine, right? Remember, if you ever get mobbed by the media, just hold your head down and charge through the crowd!" Rena beamed again, only much more forced as she inconspicuously stomped on Raven's foot.

"Oof!"

"Yes, I know my way back very well. And I am sure that I am not well known enough to attract that many humans from the press," replied Eve in her soft, robotic tone.

"Alright, me 'n Raven have things to discuss about our upcoming plans. We'll see you later!" Rena waved enthusiastically as Eve turned to walk back to Ruben Village's small inn.

She turned back to Raven and shot him a glare. "What was that for? You know we had plans after her concert."

"Sorry, I was only trying to be polite," replied Raven, rolling his eyes. "Why, is someone jealous?" he added, extending the last syllable in a teasing lilt.

This earned him another stomp on the foot.

"That aside," Rena said as she adjusted her boot, "Eve's just not getting famous fast enough. No matter how much work we put in, that stupid Aisha girl is always at the top of Elrios Top 100! We need to find a way to bring her down!"

"And why isn't Eve's hard work enough? She has her modeling and her records sell a decent amount. I'm sure we don't have to resort to sabotage."

"It just isn't enough! Do you want to be following an unknown pop star around for the rest of your life?" retorted Rena sharply. "No, we need to boost her to the top, the very pinnacle of the industry."

_And I have a bone to pick with that Aisha girl._

Raven sighed deeply. "At your insistence, dear Rena. I'm assuming you have something planned?"

Raven could see a sharp glint in Rena's eyes. "Aw, honey! You are just too smart for your own good," she squealed happily, giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "Of course I have something planned! And best of all, it mostly involves you.

"You remember the layout of Velder very well, don't you? And how the demons are sealed there…?"

* * *

**A/N:** Seeing how I took a 3 year break, don't expect fast updates. But reviews give me motivation. _Hinthint._  
But yeah, the fragments of lyrics you will be seeing are all written by me. Even though I don't know squat about music.  
Anyways, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed!  
Stay awesome.


	2. Love and Lies

**Love and Lies**

* * *

"_Love and lies are double-edged swords,  
wielding one, you hurt another,  
wield the other, your hurt yourself.  
Love and lies, fuel of life._"

Eve sang passionately into the microphone, trying her best to convey the meaning of the song into her whispery voice as Rena listened halfheartedly.

"Eve, do you think you can make your voice more powerful than that? Like more OOMPH, you know what I mean?"

"I will try my best," came the flat, automatic response. Taking a deep breath, Eve sang louder but was barely audible over the thumping bass of the instrumental.

"Alright, Eve, you can take a break. All of that recording must have gotten to you." Rena handed Eve a bottle of water before walking out of the Altera studio. Eve acquiesced, taking the water and heading to a bench to scrutinize the sheet music for a bit longer.

"I understand, but my calculations show that my voice has hit this pitch with the same amount of frequency. How much more accurate can I get?" asked the Nasod.

"I don't think it's accuracy that you need to work on. Perhaps, the emotional part of it?" suggested Rena, unsure whether or not Eve could understand the concept of emotions.

Though pitch-perfect, Eve's only weakness was that she didn't understand the power of feelings in a song, leaving even the most meaningful ones dull and monotonous.

"Emotions… is that something I can calculate the frequency of?"

"Perhaps you can find that out in your own time, Eve. Just relax. I'm sure you'll get back into the mood once you rest for a bit," reassured Rena, trying to change the topic. "Meanwhile, I need to step outside for a bit to take care of some business, kay?"

Eve nodded once, turning her yellow gaze to the papers in her hand, brow furrowing as she tried to decipher what she did wrong.

Rena left the studio, heading toward an empty alleyway next to the building. A black crow fluttered down, perching itself on Rena's shoulder. Rena reached for the note, quickly unfurling the curled up paper and scanning the message.

"Well, little guy, you sure have come far," she crooned gently, reaching into a small pouch attached to her belt loop and feeding the bird seed. "Take a break while I write a response, okay?"

Turning the small parchment over, Rena grabbed a pen from her pocket.

_Perfect._

* * *

"Rena, are you sure about this?" whispered Raven as the two made their way into the catacombs of Velder.

"Yes, I'm sure. And no, I will not reconsider or turn back," came the snippy reply.

"I'm just advising you, you really don't want to mess with these demons. They're locked up for a reason! They'll take your request because you freed them, but you have no idea whether they'll betray you after they repay their debt."

The two painstakingly tiptoed through the tunnels under Velder, careful not to alert any sleeping residents above them. They made their way further underground, to where the luminescent moonlight didn't breach. Rena snapped her fingers together, generating a small green burst of energy to light the way.

"Look, I know. But don't worry; I know what I'm doing."

Their journey turned silent as Raven hashed this new information.

_Rena? Associated with a demon?_

They reached a large, steel door that spanned the width of the tunnel, five times higher than the average human. Yellow tape was slapped haphazardly across the door, along with a few magic circles drawn with chalk and handwritten charms.

Rena snorted at the mess. Demons were powerful; cheap magic such as this would have no effect whatsoever. She turned to Raven, giving him a knowing look.

Raven sighed inwardly. There was no going back now, not when she was like that. He removed the glove of his left arm, letting his Nasod arm heat up to unnatural temperatures before making contact with the metal of the door.

_Fsssh!_ With his heated arm, Raven carved a hole big enough for Rena and him to crawl through. He removed the intact part he had welded off and placed it to the side, waiting a few seconds for the molten steel to cool before crawling through and signaling Rena.

"What happened to 'ladies first'?" Rena joked, rolling her eyes as she followed Raven past the door and even deeper underground.

It was Raven's turn to snort. "Very funny. Come on, the sooner we get out, the sooner we can relax."

The door had led to a series of winding staircases, each one going further and further downwards. With each step, the pressing aura of darkness became thicker and thicker until it was hard to breathe.

_At this rate, we'll reach the Underworld before we find a demon_, thought Rena. Following her elf instinct, she wound through the tunnels at alarming speed, with Raven panting behind her.

"Here." Rena paused in front of an unmarked door. Despite the barren surface, the door was embedded with layers upon layers of sealing magic and alchemy, making it difficult to breach from the inside.

_But who would ever _want_ to release a demon?_

Rena easily pushed the door open, the hinges squeaky from years of rust and neglect. As the gap between the door and the jamb widened, Raven could feel an even darker presence within, the dark aura leaking out and knocking him back a few steps.

"Hello, Chloe. I have a favor to ask of you."

* * *

"Look, it's Aisha!"

"What? Here?"

"I need an autograph. And a picture. Do you think she'll sign my chest?"

"Can we please get a picture with you?"

The crowd pushed even closer to the portal, barely giving Aisha and Elsword space to breathe, much less walk. As soon as the pair arrived in Feita, blinding camera flashes and loud, insistent pleas bombarded their senses.

"Move along, people. There will be a chance for all of you during the meet-and-greet tomorrow," Elsword shouted, dragging Aisha through the crowd as he cleared a small pathway.

"Sorry, everyone. But I'll be seeing you bright and early in the morning!" Aisha yelled into the overzealous crowd as she exited the mob.

They made it to their inn at Feita with a shouting crowd at their heels. Elsword hurriedly escorted Aisha to her room, closing the door to muffle the loudness of her fans.

"Elsword, you don't have to do that, you know. Someone might get hurt one day." Aisha flopped onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow.

"My only concern is you getting to your destination safely," replied Elsword curtly, "besides, noisy crowds get on my nerves."

"But isn't it fun seeing everyone? You get to meet different people with different values and beliefs; it opens doors to new worlds." Aisha's eyes glittered with excitement. "I can't wait until tomorrow. I just hope someone doesn't get hurt though."

Elsword sighed as he leaned against the wall. "Don't worry about that. I'll take care of it. Just be sure to keep your fans happy, alright? I don't want another Allegro fiasco again."

"Will do! Now, go to bed. You look exhausted."

He rubbed his eyes tiredly and stretched, feeling his joints pop from the long journey. "Goo-"

_CRASH!_ The glass of the window burst, sending glittering shards across the carpeted room. A dark-skinned woman leaped nimbly into the room, her pink cat-like eyes scanning the room quickly until they landed on Aisha.

As soon as he heard the window break, Elsword drew his sword, running over to Aisha's side. He bent low, ready to strike.

"Ah, so you're the annoying brat my dear cousin wants gone," the feline woman said, her voice low and menacing. "I heard that Ran was looking for a court singer. Perhaps you will do."

Aisha hopped off the bed and into her own fighting stance next to Elsword. The tip of her staff glowed purple as she prepared a spell.

"Who are you? And who is this cousin you mentioned?" demanded Aisha angrily.

The intruder stretched her neck, feeling her bones pop as she readied her bow. "No one important. The most important thing is that you need to be gone." She grinned widely, but the glint in her eyes was one of malice.

_Pointed ears. Dark skin. No way!_ Aisha shifted her position into a more defensive stance. "You're a dark elf. You should be sealed deep in the catacombs of Velder. What are you doing here?"

"Humans, always making me repeat things. Do you not have ears? I'm here to take you to where you belong, of course, little miss dimension witch."

Aisha frowned. She hadn't heard that title in a long time, a title referencing the type of magic she mastered over the years. _Think. The catacombs are meant to keep things in, not out. Anyone could break into them. But to break into them and release a demon means that whoever did it really hates me… which means that –_

Her thoughts were interrupted when Chloe suddenly attacked, leaping lithely into the air and letting out a shower of magical arrows that easily cut the furniture into ribbons. Aisha leapt back, summoning a small spatial distortion to absorb the projectiles, as Elsword slashed through them easily and countered Chloe's attack.

Using his own magic to lengthen his sword, he swung wildly, letting out a wild battle cry. "You won't get away with this!" he swore.

Chloe dodged the reckless attack easily. "No, no, no. You're not the target this time, kiddo. I'm not going to waste my precious time on you." She slashed at Elsword once with a small knife, causing him to flinch as blood welled up on his upper arm. Moving swiftly, she dodged every one of Aisha's starballs and staff swings, grabbing the purple-haired idol around the waist and dragging her across the room.

"No!" Muttering a quick incantation, Aisha let out a large burst of energy, causing Chloe to drop her.

"Tch, annoying brat." The dark-skinned elf jumped back a few steps, readying her bow.

Elsword jumped into the fray, aiming for Chloe's torso. While focusing on Aisha, Chloe barely had time to leap out of the way, bringing her bow up to block the hit and aiming a swift kick to his ribs that knocked the breath out of Elsword.

"Looks like I'll have to take care of you first," she muttered, following up with a swift knifehand strike to the side of his neck, rendering him unconscious. As she readied herself to face Aisha, Chloe was suddenly thrown against the wall. Looking back, she saw Aisha with her staff pointed at her, panting with the amount of force she had to generate.

Chloe swiveled around, putting her bow around her torso and grabbing for a knife. "Now that you're boyfriend's out for the count, why don't you just willingly come with me? It would make my life so much easier."

"Like hell I would!" snarled Aisha, "and he isn't my boyfriend!" The mage suddenly disappeared then reappeared behind Chloe, readying a strong strike.

"Too slow." Catching the decorated winged tip of Aisha's staff with her knife, Chloe easily flung the weapon across the room, disarming the idol. She slashed at the air around Aisha, a bit too close for comfort but not hurting Aisha.

"Looks like you're coming with me." Chloe gave Aisha a malicious grin, holding the knife millimeters from the mage's throat.

* * *

**A/N:** Woo, I think that's my first time actually writing a fighting scene. And yeah, my writing's still kind of rusty, but I'll get back into it again.

Thanks for all of the reviews, alerts, and favorites on the last chapter! Stay awesome, you guys.


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